STAMP OF CHENNAI - 11: Madras Day 2007

A special cover released by the Postal Department on August 22 to commemorate the 368th Madras Day. It is on August 22, 1739 that the East India Company received a piece of land from the Vijayanagar Kingdom to set up a trading post. Fort St George came up at the place and was the root from which Madras city grew.
Check out more details in Stamp of Chennai - 9, the Madras Day 2006 special cover.
The special cover this year carries a map of the Fort St George and a cancellation with a drawing of the flag mast -- the tallest in India -- in the fort.
A nice cover, though a very cluttered design. Last year's was definitely more simple and elegant.
The back of the cover carries ten black and white photographs of various locations in the Madras of the late 1800s and early 1900s.


I just thought I would add a picture of the Ripon Building, the headquarters of the City's administration. The Corporation of Madras, the oldest in India, came into being through a charter of September 29, 1688. It was decided that Madras Corporation would the area up to a distance of 10 miles (16.09 km) from Fort St George. Madras city, Chennai now, has grown several miles past that limit but the boundary remains the same.
In another two years the Ripon Building will celebrate its centenary.
(Check the Chennai Corporation's official website for an interesting history of the City.)

Aadi Maasam

July-August -- the tamil month of `Aadi' -- is an auspicious period for all the `amman' temples in Tamil Nadu. It is during this time you can run into these colourful processions vending their way down the Chennai streets. These pics were not taken this time but I think about two years back.




This little guy was all smiles before the procession started... one look at the pierced cheeks, he started screaming his head off. He did not want any part of it... I think they left him alone.